Just Returned From Fabulous Trip on Caribbean Princess

[cruiserdru]

Looks like the latest Princess version of Baked Alaska????

[Lucky TGO]

12 minutes ago, cruiserdru said:

Looks like the latest Princess version of Baked Alaska????

Princess Baked Alaska 

This is  what you are  served  now and this is what you were served in the past.

Tony

Edited April 2, 2019 by Lucky TGO

[AF-1]

15 hours ago, ckrcjr said:

Thanks so much.  Our friends just booked the concerts at sea and we are thinking of booking the regular cruise as long as there are still plenty of the regular things to do - and maybe we could hear the music at different times as well.  I don't think there are too many places on the Regal that could totally be closed off other than the theater perhaps?  Sounds like a great time!!

Hi,  here is how the concerts work.  Like I mentioned; most concerts are during the afternoon or morning.  So your friends may attend a concert in the theater prior to pulling into a port; or they may go to a concert like 5pm when the ship sails at 5pm.  Club fusion and skywalkers were used to provide oldies music.  Concerts at Sea brings their own house band with them; and they played in club fusion; they also bring their own disc jockey's who played in skywalkers.  They have staff who sit outside the venues and check your wristband for entry into the various venues.  

Edited April 2, 2019 by AF-1

[AF-1]

1 hour ago, coops14 said:

We have booked a Caribbean Circle cruise for February next year, we can’t wait. Thank you for your review. Please could you tell me what the dessert is with meringue? 

Many thanks 😎

 

sorry,  just saw your post;  and someone beat me to your question.  Yes it is Baked Alaska and yes Princess serves it every cruise.  I believe they serve it on last formal night.  Have fun;  we did

[AF-1]

13 minutes ago, Lucky TGO said:

Princess Baked Alaska 

This is  what you are  served  now and this is what you were served in the past.

Tony

Tony,  we were watching our carbs;  so the smaller piece was fine.  But your slice does look wonderful

[CruzeQueen2]

On 2/24/2019 at 6:32 AM, AF-1 said:

Hello Fellow Cruise Critics,  We just returned from seven days Western Caribbean on Caribbean Princess.  Our trip was 16-23 Feb.  FLL- Cayman Islands-Roatan-Belize_Cozumel. It was a great trip and we were very happy with no big issues.  Let me start this review by saying; out of perfect 10; this cruise was a 9.9 rating.  We flew down on Valentines Day 14 Feb to FLL.  So glad we went early; why you ask.  Well for one we wanted to get out of the cold weather in Cincinnati, and we figured we could spend Valentines day on the beach.  We were supposed to arrive FLL at 2:30pm on Delta.  Well our flight coming into Cincinnati had a mechanical; which made out flight out of Cincy late and we missed our connection in Atlanta. We had checked bags so we could not get them back. When we got to Atlanta, we missed our first connection; then we missed the second connection because they only had one seat avail; and I was not going to leave my wife;  we finally caught the third flight; which put us into FLL at 6:15pm.  Our bags were on the original connection, so they were at Delta baggage when we arrived.  Hopped in a taxi and went to Courtyard Marriott on FLL beach.  Nice hotel and great location.  We did get to celebrate Valentines Day with a late dinner.  Friday was lounge and beach day and we left for port Saturday around 10:30am.  Most of you know Caribbean Princess was first ship to have fully functional medallion class.  I can say after 7 days using the new medallion system; it works, and it works well.  Yes there are still a few glitches; one being; I could never order a beverage in Club Fusion.  I could in all the other bars but that one.  I could order room service with the app, and order beverages at the pool bars, etc.  Getting on and off ship is a little faster; some people say it really is not faster; but I think it is a little faster.  The main thing is the medallion unlocks the door to your cabin when you approach.  You still have to push the door handle to open door; but it is a nice system.  The track or find cruise mate works well.  I was watching a jazz band in Explorers lounge, and next thing I know my wife is tapping me on the shoulder; she said she tracked me down with the digital screen by the elevator.  There are digital screens by all the elevators on every floor.  If you want to know how to get to the spa from deck 6; you just tap on the spa and then it asks if you want directions to the spa and it will give you the quickest route.  If you buy something in the gift shops is a breeze. There is a medallion box at the check out counter.  You place your medallion on the button and it will turn green; which mean the sale went thru.  The biggest thing I noticed about the medallion system was on departure day.  Some people never took a security photo prior to arriving at the port. Even though they had filled out ocean ready app; their security photo was not taken or they took a side shot of their face; which won't work.  Anyway, once they tried to enter the ship the security officers had to retake their security photo's with an ipad.  When they placed their medallion down on machine it never turned green; it stayed blue.  There are  more than 50 medallion personnel at the port willing and able to help with any and all medallion questions or issues.  Same is true on board the ship.  They have an ocean medallion desk with tech people manning the desk to help.  On day two of cruise they teach a class with one of the medallion IT staff;  it is held in Explorers lounge.  So back to the cruise.  This  was our second cruise with Princess.  We liked our Alaska cruise so much that we booked this cruise.  Below I will list everything:

CABIN: C749 aft Penthouse Suite. - Loved the location and the room; cabin steward Olympio was excellent

Club Class Dining: Excellent; never had to wait for a table; food was great

CROWN GRILL: Excellent.  Food was great; staff was great; all in all great dinner

WORLD FRESH MARKET BUFFET: Ate here for a few breakfasts, a few lunches, and a few dinners.  Never had a bad meal.  Met head chef and he showed me around the buffet and we talked about different types of foods and breads served there. (full disclosure, I have a food service background).  Anyway is was interesting to hear about some of the regional foods they prepare.  There was a lot of asian, and mediterranean food on buffet; and there was a fajita bar everyday for lunch.  Food was good

SABITINI'S: ate breakfast here one morning by myself.  Good food and service;  

24 HR INT'L FOOD MARKET ON PIAZZA: Had a few desserts here; never had a sandwich or salad

ENTERTAINMENT: Comedy show was excellent;  magic show was just ok, production show was very good

SLICE PIZZA AND SALTY DOG: I had pizza at least a slice a day;  was trying to see if there was any change in consistency between hours of the day or each day.  Pizza was just as good every day.  Burger and fries were good; fries were cooked to order

MUTS: The movies for this week were: Black Panther, First Man, A Star is Born, plus a bunch of concerts;  we watched the Who Concert on night

SHIP AND STAFF: The ship was in great shape.  Every port day the crew was all over the ship working nonstop changing carpet and painting while we were onshore.  I never met a bad crewmember. When I sat down in buffett; there were  no less than three servers at my table asking if I needed anything; same was true in main dining room .  Our personal cabin steward was in and out of room all the time cleaning.   cabin was spotless.  

CRUISE DIRECTOR: Micca Reitano from Australia.  Funny, had a morining tv show from all over the ship.  Was everywhere and very interactive with passengers.  

***** I do not have anything bad to say about this cruise.  The only reason I did not give it a perfect 10 was the following.  We had one shore excursion cancelled because of high seas;  we had our heart set on snorkling on barrier reef in Belize; and it was cancelled;  so we ended up never leaving the ship. I know this was out of anyone's control.  Only other thing; medallion program is up and running at maybe 90%.  Two small no big deal things;  We had perfect weather and calm seas.  I posted a few pics from our trip.   If you have any questions or concerns about this review or the ship I will try and answer the best I can.  Thank you for reading along. Have a great day

I was on the same trip, and I agree with everything you said. Fantastic in every regard. 

[CruzeQueen2]

I was on the same ship, Feb 9th to 23rd. Whole heartedly agree with your comments. Loved the ship so much, I've already booked it for next year, southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

Planks was a worthwhile venue as well. Barbecue specialties, great value for 12 bucks! Food in all venues was excellent; refreshingly modern in New World Market especially. Chef Guido was with us for most of the trip, but he left partway into our second week. 

 

I'm curious. Was he the chef who showed you around?

[coops14]

49 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

Tony,  we were watching our carbs;  so the smaller piece was fine.  But your slice does look wonderful

Wow, I love baked Alaska 

[coops14]

52 minutes ago, AF-1 said:

 

sorry,  just saw your post;  and someone beat me to your question.  Yes it is Baked Alaska and yes Princess serves it every cruise.  I believe they serve it on last formal night.  Have fun;  we did

Do they just serve it in the formal dining rooms on the last formal night at a certain time?  I remember I have seen pictures a few years ago of a procession of waiters holding baked Alaska’s aloft 😎

[TrixiePixie]

On 3/20/2019 at 7:37 PM, funCruise3 said:

Great pics! I wanted to check out your review of the Caribbean  Princess and loved,  loved, loved your pictures!  Our MDR waiter was Marvin, too (the fellow on the left in one of your pictures) Marvin  told us it was his last week on our cruise  on March 9, 2019, and he was returning to the Philippines to retire.

We had a great time and would give  the ship very high ratings,  too.  

Yummy that baked Alaska looks so good. We were so full last cruise that we ate dinner then went to show and went back to the dinning room and asked if we could just come in for dessert. They said sure. And it was delicious 

[AF-1]

1 hour ago, CruzeQueen2 said:

I was on the same ship, Feb 9th to 23rd. Whole heartedly agree with your comments. Loved the ship so much, I've already booked it for next year, southern Caribbean itinerary.

 

Planks was a worthwhile venue as well. Barbecue specialties, great value for 12 bucks! Food in all venues was excellent; refreshingly modern in New World Market especially. Chef Guido was with us for most of the trip, but he left partway into our second week. 

 

I'm curious. Was he the chef who showed you around?

His name was John Convery.  Ran into him in world market buffet and we chatted.  I have a food service background

[AF-1]

CruzeQueen2,  thanks for being on board this trip.  It was fun and weather was perfect.  No issues at all

[CruzeQueen2]

5 hours ago, AF-1 said:

CruzeQueen2,  thanks for being on board this trip.  It was fun and weather was perfect.  No issues at all

I was thrilled to be on this trip. As a west coaster, this was my first time to FLL and these CB ports. Well worth the effort. I'd sail on this ship again in a heartbeat. I've been sailing on the west coast, Ruby, Golden Star mostly, in the last few years.Love those ships and the staff, as well. On the Caribbean P in 2014, out of Houston, I was happy to return to this big ship.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your detailed report. Thank you for taking the time.

 

I had my share of glitches in February, e.g. no cruise card nor medallion ready at the port, and a disappointing shore excursion! But,I wouldn't have traded those 14 days onboard the ship for all the snow in Vancouver! I escaped winter and loved every minute.

 

Initially,  there was no embarkation package available for me at check in. Perhaps my cruise partner and I worked a little too hard ahead of time preparing ourselves to be Ocean Ready. Most of the other passengers I spoke to, never downloaded a thing prior to sail date and they breezed onto the ship without a blip.

 

Upon discovering nothing ready at check in for me, and after a bit of a wait, i.e., an hour in the terminal, a cruise card was issued and I was able to join the ship- in time for lunch in the dining room. That made up for the bumpy start. 😄 The first morsel of food was delicious and continued to be so for the next 14 days. Kudos to Chef Guido and Food and Beverage director, Roy Kelley. All food venues that I went to were exceptional in taste as well as presentation. Have you had a quinoa salad or tabbouleh served in a mini Terra cotta-like flower pot before?

 

In preparation to join the Royal in May on the west coast, I am going to waltz into the LA terminal  to pick up my medallion and cruise card at the pier. Can't wait! The medallion technology is fun, but not failproof....yet!

Did I tell you? I live in Canada, and they don't mail medallions out to my country. LOL!

Happy Sailing everyone!

[AF-1]

CruzeQueen2,  I did know the medallions are not mailed out of the US; which is ironic, since they are mailed from Overseas;  I believe they come from Singapore. Anyway, you made it onto the ship and had a good time

Your meal looks great.  Thanks for sharing

Edited April 3, 2019 by AF-1

[Grenouille21]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!  

 

I am contemplating a solo cruise on the Caribbean Princess in the early summer.  Would you say this is a good ship for a solo cruiser, mid-40s, looking to relax but open to enjoying some nightlife?  I sailed on HAL with my kids in Alaska, and there was no nightlife to speak of on this floating nursing home (I say that with love as my kids and I loved our cruise and they both look on their experience as their favorite kid club experience ever, and I enjoyed listening to music while reading my books at night).  Being solo I would be more open to dancing/fun, but not sure this is the right line for that.  The price (for me) is unbeatable on any other line.  Just want to make sure this is a good use of my limited funds.  

 

What is the overall vibe on this ship?  Anyone with summer Caribbean experience? 

[myjillian]

On 2/24/2019 at 9:34 PM, Ep010835 said:

 

Is yours an aft Penthouse or s side facing one?

This is a video that’s been floating around on the internet for a while. It’s obviously an aft Penthouse but the layouts are generally the same. C749 (shown) is a mirror image of C748. 

The principal difference between this video and now is the much larger TVs and the fact that that are both mounted higher on the wall. 

 

Two .5 liter bottles per day are part of your suite perk. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes you have to remind your RS. 

 

You are gonna have a fabulous time!!

 

 

Very cool video...silent...waves in the background..mysterious.....was waiting until the end for someone to jump out ....:)

 

[myjillian]

On 2/24/2019 at 6:02 PM, AF-1 said:

Hi and have fun on this ship.  Yes the aft pool is the most relaxing.  It is located right outside the buffet; so you can get your food and sit out here and eat breakfast or lunch.  It's quiet;   if you go to the Calypso or Neptune pool this is where the music plays and bands and stuff;  the sail away party is here;  you can also get pizza and burgers by these pools.  We sat by the pools a little;  I do not do well in the sun; so I manage to stay in the shade

when we sail on Princess we have that little room under this balcony so that this pool and back of the ship IS ALL OURS !!!...until someone else shows up....:)

 

[myjillian]

Thank you for the fine review.  We will be on her in Oct.

[AF-1]

5 hours ago, Grenouille21 said:

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!  

 

I am contemplating a solo cruise on the Caribbean Princess in the early summer.  Would you say this is a good ship for a solo cruiser, mid-40s, looking to relax but open to enjoying some nightlife?  I sailed on HAL with my kids in Alaska, and there was no nightlife to speak of on this floating nursing home (I say that with love as my kids and I loved our cruise and they both look on their experience as their favorite kid club experience ever, and I enjoyed listening to music while reading my books at night).  Being solo I would be more open to dancing/fun, but not sure this is the right line for that.  The price (for me) is unbeatable on any other line.  Just want to make sure this is a good use of my limited funds.  

 

What is the overall vibe on this ship?  Anyone with summer Caribbean experience? 

Hello and welcome to my thread.  For solo cruisers I believe this ship would be nice. There is Club Fusion which has music every night.  They usually have a band playing in here. Skywalkers is located at the top of the ship and they have a disc jockey playing music into the early morning. Skywalkers does not start until 10pm . The Wheelhouse bar located on deck 7 aft; has a band playing too. Explorers lounge is located midship on deck 7; and Crooners bar is also midship.  this bar can have almost any type music each night. I hear what you are saying about Holland America. My niece sailed with them and she said she could never find anything to do at night for nightlife.  The ship is beautiful, the staff were great, and the caribbean is awesome.  I have been to both eastern and western caribbean.  Ask away if you have any more questions.  Cheers 

[AF-1]

39 minutes ago, myjillian said:

Thank you for the fine review.  We will be on her in Oct.

Have fun, we had a great time.  

[AF-1]

53 minutes ago, myjillian said:

Very cool video...silent...waves in the background..mysterious.....was waiting until the end for someone to jump out ....:)

 

Hello  we were in C749.  Great location and great cabin

[Ep010835]

2 hours ago, AF-1 said:

Hello  we were in C749.  Great location and great cabin

 

We've been in C748 and C749. Love 'em both! Agree with AF-1. 

You'll have a wonderful time!! 

Let us know your thoughts when you return. 

[turquoisesea]

Thank You AF-1 for you fantastic review. We will be on the CB in May and I have an additional question for you. Do you recall if a Caribbean Night menu is still included in the main dining room?  And if so do you recall which day it was served?  I want to make our reservations for the Crown Grill on that night. 😂😂

[donaldsc]

Just a suggestion - I believe that you have set a record for the longest single paragraph ever posted on CC.  It would be a lot easier to read if you broke it up into a number of shorter paragraphs.

 

DON

[AF-1]

2 hours ago, turquoisesea said:

Thank You AF-1 for you fantastic review. We will be on the CB in May and I have an additional question for you. Do you recall if a Caribbean Night menu is still included in the main dining room?  And if so do you recall which day it was served?  I want to make our reservations for the Crown Grill on that night. 😂😂

I don’t have an answer.  We only ate in club class dining two nights. The other five nights we ate other places.  The two nights we did eat there one was Italian night and the other was regular menu.